I'm a WHAT? Revampired
by Gemeni9000
Summary: Because, like, vamp is also short for vampire! Ah hyuck! I didn't like my previous story so I redid it. COMPLETE. Flames welcome.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer:- The Legacy of Kain series and it's characters is owned by crystal dynamics and originated from silicon knights. I get no money from typing this up.

A/N: This is the revamped version of "I'm a WHAT?" which I had posted... Wow... Almost a year and a half ago! I didn't like it, so I tried cutting out the things I didn't like to improve the story; excess Mary Sues, sweat drops, crap like that. If you have already read "I'm a WHAT?" Before, then there really isn't any particular need to re-read it in this fic. It would help to make sense if you want to read "Hylden havoc" which I am writing.

* * *

Raziel stood at a ready stance, waiting for his opponent to make his move. Dumah stood, calculating what his first move would be. He finally decided to start with a downward chop, which Raziel easily blocked. The blocking left his chest opponent to attack, and Dumah used his other hand to punch Raziel in the said chest. Raziel countered this by dodging, and keeping his body pointed sideways from Dumah, so that there was less area for his opponent to attack. Raziel used the momentum of his turn as well, giving Dumah a low kick as he spun. Dumah jumped up to dodge the low kick. But in mid-air, he gave Raziel a high kick to the jaw. He was stunned at the blow Dumah got in, but only for a split second, as he moved slightly away from Dumah and took that moment to move his cloven hoof under the one leg supporting Dumah and tripping him over. He then proceeded in punching Dumah in the side as he fell, propelling him towards the far wall to crash. Before that could happen, however, Dumah spun in mid-air, landing more gracefully than the crash should have allowed. Now against the wall, Dumah pushed away from it, lunging back at Raziel. Raziel, still keeping a sideways stance from Dumah, easily dodged Dumah's lunge, and while his brother was still in mid-air, grabbed his arm and used it to swing Dumah's body down to the ground. This time Raziel did not let go. Dumah was now on the floor, on his stomach, with his arm pinned behind him by Raziel, who brought his foot down on Dumah's back to hold him there.

"You've gotten better, Dumah. But you're still no match for me." Raziel mused.

"Wanna bet?" Dumah smirked. The hand belonging to the arm Raziel held grabbed onto Raziel's own arm. With a burst of strength, Dumah threw Raziel off of his back, and slammed him into the ground just next to where he lay. Raziel let go of his arm now, and Dumah did likewise, before bringing his elbow down to slam into Raziel's stomach. Alarmed, Raziel rolled away. Dumah missed him by inches, the ground where he hit now a cracked crater of cement.

"Hey, watch it." Raziel hissed, getting up and dusting himself off.

But Dumah wasn't finished yet. Getting up, he swung a punch at Raziel, who caught the punch and tried to push the fist away. Dumah used his other hand, which Raziel caught again, but Dumah was slowly pushing Raziel's own hands back, apparently the stronger.

"Admit it, Raziel. I am the stronger." Dumah grinned wickedly. Raziel frowned, before slacking off his arms, and using Dumah's fists to balance on as he propelled himself up, knees first. Dumah, no longer leaning on Raziel, fell forward, his face headed right for Raziel's knees.

Dumah clutched his now broken nose, which Raziel had crushed, seemingly surprised by the move. Raziel got up, and turned away from his brother. "Yes, you have gotten stronger, Dumah." He admitted. "But strength isn't everything in a fight."

Dumah snorted, his nose now healed thanks to his vampiric ability to heal quickly.

"What's say we start this over again?" Dumah asked.

Raziel smirked, and was about to reply, when the door opened. Sariss, one of the younger Razielhim, looked out from the door, glancing at the two clan leaders, before addressing hers.

"Lord Raziel." She bowed. "I have come to announce that Lord Kain has sought an audience with you and your brothers, tomorrow night at the pillars."

"It's probably about that new ability he's got; phasing through walls or something."

"Melchiah's getting that ability." Raziel said thoughtfully. "Probably going through dormancy, along with most of his clan."

"Humph. He needs it; A new ability." Dumah snorted.

"Whatever." Raziel said, turning back towards Sariss. "Is that all?"

"No, my Lord." Sariss continued. "It was arranged that you would take your clan out to remove a nuisance group of vampire hunters towards the North..."

"A yes, I remember." Raziel announced. "Ah well, Dumah. Guess we'll have to finish this little sparring match another time."

Dumah merely glared at Raziel for a moment, pausing before finally nodding. "Very well... But I'll be waiting." He grinned.

"That's the spirit." Raziel said, moving towards the exit, picking up his light armor and his cloak-banner, and leaving Dumah behind.

* * *

The vampire hunter aimed his crossbow right at Raziel's chest. Snarling, Raziel quickly dodged, the heavy bolt zooming over his shoulder, it's wind grazing Raziel's neck. Raziel realized this vampire hunter need to be gotten rid of quickly. He was about to move forward to give the human a good slash to his body, when he noticed a Razielhim behind the hunter, who hadn't noticed him yet. The Razielhim paused; glancing at his leader, knowing Raziel had the right to finish him off first. But Raziel nodded at his brood, and Razielhim grinned, pushing his claws through the surprised hunters back, his arm going through the human's chest. The hunter stared at the arm sticking out, before sliding off of it, to fall down to the ground and die.

But Raziel didn't stick around to watch. He advanced on another two hunters. Cautious, considering one had a flame-thrower, he ducked when a jet of fire shot towards him, while the other hunter swung a knife from behind. He used his duck to give the hunter a low kick. Stumbling, the vampire hunter lost his aim and the jet of flame hit the other hunter, who ran around, still alight, igniting vampire hunters and vampires alike.

"Great." Raziel muttered, jumping over the downed hunter before him, snapping his spine while doing so. The human would remain immobile, helpless. He ran towards the alight hunter. Fortunately, most of his clan had enough sense to back away form him. The hunter had rolled around the ground, but it was too late for him. A charred Razielhim, who had survived getting burnt, finished off another hunter by twisting his neck, snapping his spine. Raziel finished off the last hunter available by slashing his claws through his chest. Raziel moved away then looked at the downed hunters. Most were killed. Others were simply too injured to move. "Collect all these humans!" Raziel began to bark out orders. "Take them away back to the sanctuary. Take the dead ones first. Tie the living ones up. Quickly now..."

Raziel over saw his clan taking the spoils of the battle away, making sure everything was done properly, and stayed behind, checking the battleground while his clan moved off. He examined a few charred remains of the few unfortunate vampires that got burnt. One had a stake through his chest that Raziel simply removed and sent back home. Keeping the stake, he paused when he sensed something... his instincts warning him of danger...

"THINK FAST RAZIEL!" Dumah yelled, jumping up from a high ledge to give a flying kick to Raziel on his way down. Raziel, irritated, blocked Dumah's leg and knocked him aside, tossing away the stake.

"Dumah..." Raziel groaned. "I told you that we'll just have to finish this spar later!"

"I've waited long enough!" Dumah yelled form the ground. Dumah pulled back his fist, before Raziel could do anything, his eyes widening in surprise. Dumah then swung his fist quickly, punching Raziel towards the ledge Dumah had just jumped from. Raziel hit the corner, forehead first, and there was an audible crack that echoed around the area as Dumah ran towards Raziel to continue the spar. He waited patiently for his brother to get up after he slumped to the ground in a clumsy mess. But Raziel didn't get up.

Dumah stood patiently. He realized that maybe he had been a little rough on Raziel this time. But Raziel would heal. He was a vampire, and didn't have too worry too much on many wounds, and head wounds wasn't much to worry about at all. Dumah just stood, waiting longer for Raziel to finish healing and get up and fight him.

But Raziel still didn't get up.

Dumah waited and waited, until, at the end of his patience, he gave up. He looked around, and realized that some vampire hunters may have survived the battle and could finish Raziel off while he was unconscious. So Dumah slung his brother's body over his shoulder, and marched off back towards the sanctuary.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer:- This fic isn't mine, belongs to Eidos, yarda yarda ya. There's already a disclaimer on the first chapter anyway...

* * *

Zephon sat on the sanctuary roof, a pair of zephonim accompanying him. He spotted Dumah carrying an unconscious Raziel over his shoulder, and dropped down from the roof to see what was up, his zephonim following suite.

"Dumah." Zephon bowed. "What happened?"

"Uh..." Dumah flashed a guilty look on his face before explaining. "Had a little sparring accident when he was coming back from a fight up North with some vampire hunters. Got a nasty knock on the head that doesn't seem to be healing properly. I figured it was best to send him back to the sanctuary."

"I see." Zephon narrowed his eyes at his elder brother.

"Well. I've done enough." Dumah grunted as he took Raziel, still unconscious, off of his shoulder. "Better leave him to you." Dumah simply tossed Raziel into Zephon's arms. Zephon wasn't quite as strong as Dumah, and struggled to hold him.

"What?" Zephon hissed.

"He's your problem now." Dumah walked off at a fast pace, seemingly wanting to get away. He passed a small group of Razielhim moving towards Zephon, who got the pair of Zephonim at his side to relieve him from Raziel's weight.

"Lord Zephon." The Razielhim nodded at the clan leader. "We were looking for our lord Raziel when he did not return..."

"Yes, yes. I know." Zephon snapped. "Dumah got a little excited when he turned up for another spar, and Raziel got hit on the head." Zephon explained what he had been told, slightly irritated.

"We should take him back to his resting place." A Razielhim female announced. "He would heal better there, perhaps."

Zephon shrugged, indicating to his zephonim to hand Raziel back to his clan.

"But we're Razielhim." The female frowned, somewhat snobbish. "The highest clan. Shouldn't yours bring Raziel back?"

"What?" Zephon stared at the Razielhim, his face a snarl of anger. But as the Razielhim waited patiently, he relented. "Fine!" he snapped, indicating his Zephonhim, he ordered;. "Take Raziel to his clan's sanctuary." He whirled around, and stalked off. "We're Razielhim. The highest clan," Zephon repeated mockingly as he left. The Razielhim followed the zephonim carrying Raziel back to his home.

* * *

Rouge, the Razielhim, watched over her masters' form, which was still unconscious. Two Razielhim, one still burnt from battle, waited just behind her. The zephonim had long since left, but Rouge felt it was best to watch over him. He was their leader, after all. Even if she knew for certain that he would recover...

* * *

Raziel remembered that he had just taken the vampire fiend's heart. He had ran from the crumbling Eire while Dumah took the vampire's sword. He had just seen a strange, blue wreckage of a vampire, and though he was eerily drawn towards it, he knew he had to get out of the place. His fellow Sarafan followed behind. The blue creature did not chase, but stayed behind with the other vampire, Janos Audron. Raziel didn't look back. He headed back on he long march home back to the Safaran stronghold, still wary as he was before, uneased by the blue creature he saw. But he had to keep the heart from falling into the wrong hands. He had done it, the demon Janos Audron was dead, and perhaps the rest of his spawn would follow, including the demon Vorador. He had done quite well, he figured, fulfilling his lifelong duty as a Sarafan warrior-priest. All Raziel needed to do was take the heart of darkness back to the stronghold. He had marched all the way back, taking short-cuts, and when inside the stronghold, met up with Moebius and Malek, then gave the heart to those members of the circle, where it would be best safeguarded. He took the sword from Dumah, and placed it on the table as Moebius told him to do. Strange... There was something odd about that sword. He finally let it go, reluctantly, then all of a sudden... Raziel couldn't remember anything.

All he saw was blackness. He realized, all of a sudden, that he was on his back, on a bed. Raziel wondered if he had just blacked out, and tried to figure out why that was. He opened his eyes, and realized that the room he was in was oddly dark. Looking around at the fancy tapestries on the wall with a strange question mark like symbol on them, and the windowless room, with various ornaments here and there. Raziel knew one thing. The stronghold didn't have such a place.

He sat bolt upright. "Where am I?" He wondered aloud. He didn't expect an answer, and was surprised when a girl, standing nearby the bed, answered.

"You are back at the sanctuary, my lord, in your restroom."

"My... My restroom?" Raziel pondered, looking around again. "This doesn't look like my restroom."

"My lord, you must be disorientated." The girl said, concerned. "You need to heal still. Here." She gently shoved Raziel back towards the bed. But Raziel wasn't fooled. Through the darkness, Raziel glared at the girl more closely. Clawed hands, pointed ears, yellow eyes...

_Fangs!_

"VAMPIRE!" Raziel yelled, pushing the girl towards the wall with surprising strength, where she fell on her butt, staring, puzzled, at Raziel.

Raziel wasted no time. He grabbed a torch burning on the wall. He didn't want to be caught or killed by any vampires, and they were to be exterminated. He pointed the flaming torch at the girl, but another pair of vampires rushed into the room. One was already burnt, by the look of things, and Raziel used the advantage by pushing the torch towards the burnt vampire.

"Buuuuurrrrrrrrnnnn!" Raziel grinned.

The stupid fiend didn't stand a chance, and collapsed on the floor, dead now, it's stagnant soul now released. The torch had gone out now. Raziel threw it hard at the vampire girl on the floor. It didn't go into her heart, like he intended, but it buried itself in her shoulder, where the vampire clutched it. He pushed past the last remaining vampire, and ran out the door. Not that he was afraid, but it was his best chance at survival. Besides, the Sarafan needed to know that there were more vampires about...

"Quick! Something's wrong! Follow him!" The girl hissed. "I'll go get help!"

The vampire rushed after Raziel, following him at a distance.

* * *

Rouge hissed as she pulled the torch imbedded in her shoulder, and threw it away. She held her wound for a moment, then ignored it. The wound would heal quickly. Besides, she had more important things to worry about now. She hurried out of the room, towards the place where she knew more of her clan was staying. She spotted some of them, bored, playing cards with each other.

The razielhim turned towards Rouge, confused, as she ran towards them, calling out their names.

"Something's wrong with Lord Raziel! His head was injured badly by Lord Dumah earlier, and when he woke up, he attacked me, killed Gora, and ran off!" Rouge said.

"Whatever you did to get him that pissed off, you deserve to be punished." One Razielhim sneered, picking up a card as if nothing was wrong.

"I mean it! Something's really wrong. Why would he run off like that?" The razielhim stared at her, looking somewhat more convinced. "I got someone to follow him. But I don't know what's up with Lord Raziel. I need someone to tell Kain, or at least one of the other Clan leaders."

"We'll get on it!" A Razielhim named Matt said. He saluted, his hand still holding a deck of cards, which he dropped on the table. Taking Kat with him, he took off towards the pillars.

"I'm going after Lord Raziel now, to help. I saw him head to outside the sanctuary. I'll need help..."

The other three remaining Razilhim got up, ready to follow Rouge.

* * *

Raziel smirked to himself. He had finally gotten out of the vampire's lair. Now all he had to do was get back to the stronghold somehow. He looked around, trying to get his bearings. Odd... Everything was all gray and stone. Though the lair behind him stood gleaming richly, the landscape around him seemed somewhat more barren, than what he was used to seeing in Nosgoth. Even the sky seemed different; the sun blocked out by thick, smoky clouds. Raziel shook his head. He could figure it out later. Trying to remember from the geology of the place, he figured that the direction the stronghold must have laid, and headed in that direction, only to stop when he spotted someone whom looked quite familiar.

"Zephon?" Raziel asked. The man in front of him looked very much like the Zephon he knew so well from the Sarafan brotherhood, but he wasn't exactly wearing his Sarafan armor. He wore armor over his shoulders and upper torso, with an odd shoulder-cape with a fang-like symbol displayed on it. He wore a tight pair of leather pants, and a thick pair of boots. But these clothes were hardly what Raziel was used to seeing him wear. Not only that, but there was something else different about Zephon...

"Oh, it's you!" Zephon announced, looking somewhat irritated, when he spotted Raziel staring at him. "About time you got up. I wanted to talk to you about your clan. They're really growing a bad attitude, Raziel. You had better start controlling them, or else... Raziel, are you even listening to me?"

"Zephon?" Raziel stared incredulously at the former Sarafan. "You're a VAMPIRE?"

Zephon gave him flat stare, as he was stating the obvious. "Aren't we all?"

Raziel heart, if it were still beating, would have stopped. His blood ran cold. For the first time since he woke up, he stared at his hands. Indeed, they were cloven, as were his feet. His skin was an unnatural pale color. And as he ran his tongue over his teeth, sure enough, he felt a pair of fangs rest on his gums.

"No." He said, walking backwards, still staring at his cloven hands. "No. Not me too!"

"Raziel, are you okay? You seem out of it."

"No." Zephon didn't know if that was his response or not, or if he either heard him in the first place. Raziel just continued backing away into the sanctuary walls, still staring at his hands and shaking his head.

A group of Razielhim ran up to the scene, and spotted Raziel. Zephon recognized the female from earlier.

"Lord Raziel!" She gasped, and looked him over as he still stared at his hands. Turning to Zephon, though nodding in respect demanded information. "What happened?"

"He just stared at me. Then he asked me if I was a vampire. He said we all were. Then he just acted like he is now." Zephon shrugged.

"Huh?" Rouge turned back to Raziel. The other Razielhim tried to console him, and lead him back to his clan's territory. He hardly seemed to notice that he was being moved. Zephon smirked somewhat as he noticed it was the Razielhim's turn to take care of their own leader.

Another pair of Razielhim turned up. "We couldn't find Kain, or anyone else." They announced.

"Never mind," the female said. "He doesn't seem to be doing much now. Let's just get him back home."

Zephon shook his head as he watched them leave.

"That's it." Zephon muttered to himself. "From now on, I'm minding my own business." He stalked off back to his own lair, the cathedral.


	3. Chapter 3

Raziel sat, still staring at those horrid, cloven hands. The hands of a vampire. He tried not to panic, tried to convince himself that this wasn't real. That it was just some nightmare. But he could feel the bed beneath him. He could feel the thirst for blood he now felt.

It was real.

He was back in the room he had woken up in. Fortunately, this time, he was left alone, away from the other vampires. He was glad. It sickened him to have the filthy demons move around him, treating him like their kin. He didn't want to be associated with them. He was a Sarafan. He had dedicated his life to getting rid of their scum. But now...

He wondered how had it happened? All he could remember was retreating from the fiend Janos Audron's lair, as it crumbled to pieces, the vampire dead. He had enjoyed killing him, and felt the fiend had deserved it. He had figured that would rid the world of their wretched plague. But then that blue creature turned up. He had ran back to sanctuary, with the fiend's sword. He had placed the sword on a table after he gave the heart to Malek and Moebius. Just after he let it go... then he blacked out. Maybe his transformation had something to do with that sword? Or maybe it was that haunting, blue creature. Or was it that vampire girl he saw when he had just woken up?

Either way, he was now faced with this major dilemma. Everything he stood against, he now was. Everything he worked for, removing the world of vampires... Turned into a failure. He had to rid the world of Vampires. They were subhuman parasites, demons, and if allowed to go on living, would turn everything as evil as they were. But now vampires now ruled Nosgoth. And he was one of them. They had made him as parasitic as they were. Now he was the evil one.

He looked back down at those blasted hands of his. He couldn't bear it any more. He just couldn't face this new reality. A wave of nausea swept through Raziel's stomach. He had become the enemy. He had betrayed everything he ever was...

He just couldn't take it.

He spotted a decorative-looking pike on the wall nearby. He moved over to it and pulled it off of the wall.

_Well,_ Raziel thought, not really thinking clearly. _Considering that I've dedicated my life to ridding the world of vampires, I guess it's time to dedicate my death to the same cause._

With that said, he plunged the pike into his heart, ready to die a martyr...

* * *

Kain is deified.

The clans tell tales of Him.

The pillars stood, barely. Blackened by the corruption that still lingered, apparently due to Kain's refusal to sacrifice himself. He sat before the shortened pillar of balance, eyeing his audience. Turel stood ready as he always did. Zephon seemed to be more sullen and silent than usual, but Kain paid him little heed. Melchiah wasn't present, of course, as he was currently undergoing the state of change he recently went through, gaining the ability to phase through walls and such...

Few know the truth.

He was mortal once.

As were we all...

Kain eyed the main entrance to the sanctuary. He had expected Raziel to turn up, but he didn't seem to be coming. The gates remained shut. A few tumbleweeds blew by almost as if to emphasize the point that nothing else would enter. Shaking his head at his unexplained absence, he decided to tell his vampiric sons what he called them here for. It was mostly general information and formalities. The stuff you had to discuss, being the leader, and so forth.

Suddenly the gate opened. All heads turned, expecting a tardy Raziel to turn up.

But no. Instead, a pair of Razielhim female nervously entered the gate.

"Yes." Kain snarled. "What do you want? And where is your maker, Raziel?"

"Raziel. Um... well, see... It's like this..." The Razielhim began nervously, kneeling before the group. "We came to explain, that he... wasn't coming..." Rouge really hadn't met Kain many times before, and it made her as nervous as hell to go up to him just to explain one little fact. Even with Vosa backing her up, who at least had seen Kain several more times than her. Hell, even Lord Raziel, when in his right mind, seemed to fear Kain to some extent.

"Yes?" Kain said, his face frowning, his voice at least attempting to show patience. "And why, pray tell, is that?"

"Raziel got injured on the head earlier. I believe it gave him amnesia or something, because he has not moved from his rest room, and he's rocking back and forth, on his bed, and he keeps on saying, 'I'm not a vampire, I'm not a vampire.'" Vosa explained, retaining much more of her dignity than Rouge did.

"What?" Kain raised what passed for an eyebrow.

"Raziel has amnesia..." Rouge started again.

"I know." Kain sighed, waving his hand in a 'forget it' gesture. "Now, how did Raziel get injured in such a fashion?"

Rouge nervously shot a glance at Dumah, who looked guiltily away. "Lord Dumah was sparring with Lord Raziel when he accidentally injured him, Sire."

"Hmmmm." Kain moved towards Dumah, who continued facing away, almost defiantly, not wanting to look at the approaching Kain.

"Is this true, Dumah?"

Dumah paused before facing his master. "Yes." He admitted. He glanced away defiantly again as Kain glared at Dumah, his irritated expression telling all; 'I'll deal with you later.' Kain turned back to the pair of Razielhim. "Very well. I will see to Raziel at the end of this assembly." He gestured his hand in a 'go away' gesture. The two Razielhim seemed thankful to be gone. Kain brought his hand to his chin in thought, smirking. This was going to be interesting...

* * *

Rouge knew she had been warned by her Lord not to take up human habits, but the half drunk-flask of brandy that one Razielhim brought back from the battlefield earlier to share didn't seem to be all that bad. If anything, it was the one thing that was cheering her up. Besides, it was a long time since she had enjoyed something that didn't have the taste of blood. Sitting on the steps of the Razielhim's clan sanctuary, she glanced at the door where her Lord's restroom lay behind, a pair of her clan guarding the door. But it wasn't to protect him from invaders. Raziel never needed such protection. This time, it was to protect Raziel from himself. Rouge buried her face in her arms, her mind becoming more and more groggy, which she blamed on the situation rather than the brandy.

_Why did this have to happen?_ She thought to herself. She needed a competent and able leader. And Raziel had been that, until Dumah...

It was all Dumah's fault, she finally concluded, before her head sank further down as the brandy took its toll on her body, and Rouge groaned in defeat. She sat bolt upright when a flash of light announced Kain's arrival, and she ducked away behind a pillar to watch the Razielhim by the door let him in, Turel following, who had apparently walked here, and was carrying something. Narrowing her eyes, she watched with interest.

* * *

Kain entered outside of Raziel's rest room. He could have transported himself right inside, but he had preferred the formality of using the door first. The Razielhim stepped aside and let him through, and Kain indicated that Turel should follow. He stopped short when he saw Raziel's once proud figure, laying prone on his bed, a pike running through his chest; A fatal blow for most vampires. Kain's eyes widened in surprise, he should have known the Safaran would do something like this. Raziel was loosing it enough, if what his clan told him was true. Shaking his head at the patheticness of it all, he grabbed the pike Raziel had attempted to commit suicide with, and yanked it out. The wound on Raziel chest began to heal almost immediately. But as Raziel began to revive, Kain noticed he still wasn't in good shape. His ribs stuck out from his chest, indicating a lack of nutrition which vampires needed. His shoulder-cape with his clan's insignia had fallen to the ground, dirtied as it had been trampled on. Raziel had an overall disheveled appearance. He woke up, surprised, and glanced down at his chest, seeing nothing but a small scar.

"So, I'm alive again." Raziel stated simply. Kain swapped the pike for the bound and gagged man Turel held. "Why did you do that?" Kain demanded of Raziel.

"Better to die again than be a vampire." Raziel hissed venomously. "I'd rather stay dead than to become this filth!"

"Leave us." Kain ordered Turel. Turel nodded, and left, closing the door, shutting the two off from the outside world. Kain turned back to Raziel, glancing again at his disheveled form before tossing him the trussed up human, who slumped on the floor before Raziel, defeated and scared.

"You are thirsty. Drink."

Raziel saw the human. He was indeed thirsty. But he refused to be anything like one of them.

"...I'd rather starve than be a vampire!" Raziel repeated, saying it louder for emphasis.

"Some of us have survived the experience." Kain sneered. "Well now, Sarafan Raziel... That's who you are, isn't it?" Kain asked. Raziel nodded, glaring at Kain. "Oh, I do wish I could do something to change such a wretched attitude towards vampires. What is it about you and your fanaticism?"

"It's none of you're concern, vampire." Raziel said icily. "And you're the last creature I'd tell, in any case."

"Of course." Kain mused. "But seeing how you're currently my first born Lieutenant, I do believe it is my concern."

"YOUR LIEUTENANT?" Raziel screamed incredulously. "I do not serve demons. I burn them. There's no chance in hell that I'll be your lieutenant!"

"Really now, I'm quite sure that sharing my kingdom is hardly as bad as you make it out to be..." Kain smiled coolly. Raziel stiffened.

"... In fact, I very much remember you enjoying it until you regained these memories of yours."

Raziels' eyes narrowed dangerously, realizing that this creature before him was the one who had converted him, which pissed him off to no end. "You dare..." Incensed, he turned, and using those damned claws of his, aimed to rake them across Kain's face. Kain smirked, and easily blocked the blow, and caught Raziel by the neck, throwing him down to the floor next to the bound up human. Raziel was close enough now to smell the human's blood rushing through his veins...

"I'd much prefer your cooperation. It'd make it easier for us both. But if you don't..."

"You'll what?" Raziel sneered.

"Let's just say, I have some better methods of getting some obedience." Raziel didn't need to ask what he was getting at. He knew the vampire before him was threatening him with either torture or death.

"Of course a vile creature such as yourself would do that to your own kind." Raziel stated.

"Usually I reserve that fate for traitors. And seeing as how you're now betraying me..."

"I was never loyal to you in the first place."

"But my memory serves me otherwise."

Raziel shook his head. The fiend had to be lying. Raziel knew himself. He wouldn't ally himself with these demons. He just wouldn't...

But now he was a vampire...

Raziel glanced at the human, shaking nearby. His heart pumping blood furiously. Raziel wished he would stop. The sound was nearly driving him insane.

Kain grinned wickedly. "You didn't mind your life as a vampire at all."

"I don't care what I might of thought before. I don't think it now. You creatures are nothing but fiends. You all deserve to die. I will not have any part of this!" Raziel turned away, arms folded over his chest in stubbornly.

"We all deserve death? What gave you that assumption?"

"For one, you kill humans just to survive." Raziel spat. "Your race is sick and evil!"

"And you kill sheep and cows and fowl to eat. Why don't you ask them what they think of humans?"

"Sheep don't talk and think and feel..."

"But vampires do. And you killed a good deal of them, too." Kain said simply. "Besides, what are you going to do, when your stomach hungers for human blood? Starve? Do you really think you could resist that hunger?" Kain asked, looking directly into Raziel's eyes. He then nudged the bound up human next to Raziel, knocking him down to lie on the floor between them.

Raziel couldn't fight it anymore. Kain was right. He couldn't resist his thirst for blood any longer. He had gone for too long without sustenance. The man's heartbeat was like a jackhammer in his head. Raziel relented and began to bare his teeth.

"Damn you." Raziel hissed, before bringing his head down to bite the helpless human in the neck, drawing blood.

"I rest my case." Kain smiled, satisfied, and walked out of Raziel's room, leaving Raziel gorging on the prey before him.

* * *

Rouge looked out from behind the pillar she was hiding behind. She did not catch all of it, but then from where she was, with her good hearing as a vampire, she caught enough of it to put two and two together. Chugging the remaining brandy in her flask, and tossing the container away, she decided to keep the information to herself. Still, she could use it... 


	4. Chapter 4

Ecstasy. Imagine hardly having any food or drink, half starving, and having plain bread and butter the few times when you do get a chance to eat, then suddenly have the most exquisite feast laid out in front of you, tasting luxury after all that time...

Ecstasy...

Raziel closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of hot blood run down his throat. He felt the human in his last death throes, struggling. Exultant, Raziel restrained him until he went limp and died from the lack of much-needed blood. Satiated, Raziel dropped the corpse, the last of the human's blood trickling from his neck.

He stared at the drained corpse in front of him, disgusted at himself. For a few moments not only was he a vampire in body, but a vampire in mind, too. He then wanted to refuse the fact that he was now a vampire. But he had killed now. He had killed and eaten the helpless human before him. And he had loved it.

Then again, he had loved killing Janos...

And all those other vampires...

But he was quite sure humans were the better. Vampires were subhuman beasts that did nothing but prey on humans. Evil beings that bit and drank...

So that they could live.

Looking back at the dead man in front of him, Raziel noted that he now wasn't one to talk. But he decided that was Kain's fault that he was now a vampire.

All Kain's fault...

All Raziel now wanted at that moment was to find Kain and destroy him...

* * *

Kain circled Dumah, looking him up and down, considering. The arrogant vampire still kept his eyes averted, though whether it was still an act of defiance, or if Dumah was finally feeling at least some degree of regret, or possible fear, Kain didn't know or care. It was time he learnt to fear Kain in any case.

"So..." Kain stopped, eyeing Dumah. "You just jumped out of the air and attacked Raziel without giving him a chance to react..."

"I was sparring..."

"Perhaps." Kain narrowed his eyes. Obviously irritated, he picked Dumah up by the collar of his light armor. "But now thanks to you, Raziel has lost his mind..." Kain stated calmly, yet firmly.

"Well... er... So what? A good knock on the head will bring him back!"

Kain made a face and threw Dumah against the wall. "Is that what you are suggesting, Dumah? Just bash him about until he remembers? If that is what I'm to do, maybe I should try that tactic on you, first, seeing how YOU'RE responsible for this!"

Getting up, Dumah rubbed his shoulder, which was injured from the impact. "Then how are you going to fix him?"

Kain turned away from Dumah, keeping the corner of his eye fixed on his third lieutenant. "Let's just say, there's more than one way to skin a cat..."

His eyes turned away from Dumah in time to spot Raziel standing at the entrance to the pillars, fists clenched a look of smoldering anger and vengeance in his yellow eyes.

"YOOOOOUUUUUUU!" Raziel hissed. "You sick bastard!"

"Ah, Raziel! Feeling better, I presume?" Kain mused. "Satisfied, I hope?"

The look of anger in Raziel's eyes intensified, and the ex-Sarafan lunged at the uber vampire. Kain barely reacted, simply lifting up his foot for a kick, stopping Raziel in mid-lunge.

"Don't be a fool, Raziel." Kain stated calmly. "I doubt you have the ability to take me on."

"I don't care." Raziel snapped, getting up. "I'll defeat you if it's the last thing I do!"

"I really don't see what your problem is, Raziel. I figured a little snack would have at least..."

Raziel cut him off. "Of all the people you had to turn into a vampire! What better punishment for your enemies than to turn them into what they loathe most. You vile fiend!" Raziel swung his claws at Kain, who blocked the blow and kicked Raziel onto the ground.

"What's he talking about?" Dumah asked, puzzled.

"Ignore him!" Kain hissed,

"Dumah! You too?" Raziel saw Dumah for the first time.

"Me too what?"

"How many of us, did you turn, Kain? Wasn't I enough to satisfy your twisted sense of humor?"

"Dumah, leave, NOW!" Kain snarled.

"But..." Dumah protested.

"Dumah, you have irritated me enough today. If you do not leave, I'll make you wish you had." Kain warned.

Dumah knew when to make an exit. Kain watched him leave, making sure he was gone. He spotted the two Turelim just outside the sanctuary's gates.

"You two, come here!" Kain ordered.

Raziel was just preparing for another attack. Fortunately, this time the Turelim held him firmly by the arms, so Kain had no more need to attack Raziel. Raziel struggled in their grasp.

"Accursed vampire SCUM!" Raziel snarled. "I'll tear your filthy heart out for what you did, just like I did to that fiend, Janos!"

"Such violence." Kain shook his head, bemused. "And I thought the vampires where the bloodthirsty ones."

"I am a vampire, no thanks to you!"

"Well, at least now you don't need to hide behind that mask of righteousness you Sarafan have."

"The Sarafan ARE righteous!" Raziel yelled.

"I fear I cannot convince you otherwise." Kain feigned regret. To the turelim, he rapped out orders. "Take him back to his clan's sanctuary, back to his restroom. See that he is properly guarded this time. And neither of you is to so much as mention what has been said in here! And while you're at it, find out why his own clan didn't stop him from reaching here!"

The two Turelim nodded, and dragged the struggling, screaming vampire away from Kain, who held his forehead in his hand. He was sorely tempted to do what Dumah suggested, and whack Raziel repeatedly on the head till either his lieutenant came back became simply whacked out.

* * *

"YOU THERE! Why aren't you guarding your leader as you were commanded?" A voice shouted from across the hall. A small group of Razielhim turned and spotted a loyal Turelim, and they turned to see what they had done wrong now.

"You were supposed to watch over Lord Raziel!" The Turelim rebuked the Razielhim. "Why did you let him escape?"

"But Sariss and Kat were guarding him. We only left for a moment." Matt said. They then ran over to the entrance to Raziel's restroom, another Turelim guarding the raging leader inside. Near the door, stood two carcasses. Kat had a stake running through her chest, which Matt, upset over her injury, pulled it out, reviving her. Sariss had apparently bled to death, her body sucked dry of it's lifeblood, no doubt by the changed Raziel. Matt helped Kat up.

"What happened?" Matt asked.

"He just opened the door and staked me before I could do anything!" Kat explained. "Sariss... She's gone now!"

"And your leader escaped and attacked our Lord Kain!" The Turelim criticized them. The Razielhim ignored him.

"We were only gone for a moment!" Matt frowned. "We are guarding someone that now wants us dead."

"Then we must guard it harder." Vosa stated simply. "So that we do not die."

"But why does he want to kill us so much?" Bob wondered aloud. "He apparently thinks he's human, but I've never seem them so vengeful in my life, or unlife."

"I think Rouge knows." Vosa said thoughtfully.

"Hey, where has she gone, anyway?" Kat asked.

* * *

'Take that, man behind the door. Take that, man under the bed, take that, whisperer, lewd whisperer in the bushes. And that, tormentor, and that, exploiter. Take that, bully man. See how it feels. See how it hurts. See how he screams...'

–Sally, Fortress by Gabrielle Lord

'Did you hear his cowardly screams when I tore that black heart from his carcass?'

-Sarafan Raziel, Soul reaver 2

* * *

It had been several days, now, since Raziel had escaped to seek vengeance on Kain only to be captured again, trapped in the restroom he had used in a previous life. Raziel had, of course, refused to drink the human blood the vampire vermin brought to him. He would not care much if he had to drink the blood of a vampire, but of course, that wasn't what he was going to get. They had tried to convince him otherwise, that they wanted to 'help' him, with his 'amnesia'. Raziel ignored them; he refused to be sucked in by the vampire's code words like 'help', and 'care'. They were just vampire's words of seduction, the parasites trying to convince him, to find ways to use him again for their own foul purposes. There was no way that he would let them twist him again for their own dark, evil ends.

Raziel had stopped raging inside his prison, getting tired of it. He wanted to go out to seek Kain for vengeance again, but the guard outside his room was doubled. When he stepped out the door, he now faced four or five vampires. And tough though he felt that he was, he knew he wasn't that strong. And a couple of them looked particularly large and muscular.

Another day had passed. Raziel, with little else to do, fell into another fitful sleep. He was getting thirstier by the hour, but he refused to pay any attention to the stupid urge. But the more he fought it, the more nightmares he had;

Raziel woke up with a start. He looked around the dark room he was in. The most recent gory dream he just had came rushing back into his mind.

Raziel squeezed his eyes shut and tried to imagine something else.

What did he like to imagine?

Vampires. Nothing pleased him more than getting rid of the demon vermin. Deep down inside, though he refused to admit it, he was afraid of them. They had been growing in numbers, and Raziel began to live in the evil and danger that they represented, and thus began to live in the fear of them, seeing them not as a people, but through a warped spyglass, as monsters. He fought them as often as he could, mostly to conquer that fear, so that the hunted could become the hunter. And the more he conquered that fear, the more he loved it. He tried to remember his crusades, catching all of the vampires, putting their heads on stakes. Pulling out Janos' heart out, his brethren around him.

Except it wasn't Janos he was cutting up. It was that man he had first bitten. Raziel remembered the taste of his blood, and imagined it all welling from the hole in his chest. He could taste the blood now...

Raziel yelped, shaking his head clear of the vision. Okay, maybe that didn't work so well. His vampiric urge was getting the worst of him. And he really, really, needed a drink. But he was still worried about the first time he had drunk in such a manner. The rapturous feeling he got almost drove him from himself. For a few moments he had stopped being a Sarafan, and had become one of the blood sucking fiends he detested so much. Then, he was able to stop himself. But what would happen if he couldn't control himself next time? Raziel would stop being... himself. What would he be then? Probably the stupid creature he was before. The fear that would separate Raziel from becoming that vampire would almost disappear. But the Sarafan that he was would cease to exist.

"No." He moaned. He didn't want that to happen. But what could he do? He felt particularly helpless when another pang of thirst hit him. Clutching his empty stomach, his world spinning around him, Raziel eyed the door, almost wishing one of his keepers would burst in offering him a goblet of blood.

Okay, maybe trying to control that thirst of his wasn't such a great idea. But what could he do? He wanted to seek vengeance on that scum for turning him into one of them. Maybe he could direct his thirst, the thirst they forced on him, on them, fusing that thirst with his hatred.

And he was thirsty...

Then he found himself heading for the door, and opening it, before he caught himself. The two muscular vampires turned and spotted him.

"You shall not pass!" One hissed.

A smaller vampire walked up. "Lord Raziel!" He exclaimed. Raziel saw him, and smelt his blood. Vampire blood.

"You'll do fine!" Raziel grinned, and brought his claw up to strike. But the lack of sustenance had drained him, and there wasn't enough force to the blow, so the vampire wasn't too badly injured. Unfortunately, with the vampiric claws that he had, he didn't need much force to cause three shallow gashes along the vampire's chest. The smaller vampire backed away. Another pang of thirst hit him, and Raziel clutched at his stomach again. He eyed the blood leaking behind the vampire's claws, which were holding the scar that quickly healed the scratch he had caused.

"What's he doing?" The unwounded vampire asked him, anxiously. The healed vampire at his side seemed to realize what was up and rushed away, apparently getting something.

"BloooDDdd!" Raziel hissed. He lunged at the other smaller vampire, and bit straight into his neck.

* * *

Matt tried to push his leader away. "Raziel... Please stop!" He winced, his own blood being drained. Raziel didn't want to stop, however, and sucked the vampire's blood even more, until the stronger Turelim pulled Raziel away roughly, shoving him back into his room.

"BlooOOOOdd!" The group heard Raziel yell before the door was slammed before them by the Turelim.

Matt saw Kat coming up towards them. She spotted the bite marks on Matt's neck.

"It happened again, didn't it?" Kat said simply.

Matt growled. "What the hell is his problem?"

"Uh... He's thirsty?" Kat offered.

Matt shook his head. "Then why in the hell does he keep on turning down all that human blood we send him? Freakin' fussy..."

"Maybe he has 'cravings'." Kat joked.

Matt shook his head, again. "Yeah, right, a vampire, pregnant." He sneered. "Real funny."

"Oh, go fix yourself up. I'll take your shift." Kat said. The Razielhim left, thankful.

* * *

Okay, maybe he would have to hold off his vengeance for a while. He couldn't seem to get out of this prison. Even when he was strengthened by the blood he had just fed on. There didn't seem to be much of a chance of getting out.

He needed help, at least. But who would help him? Turel, Dumah, Malek, Zephon... The Sarafan brotherhood. Usually he would turn to them for help. But they were probably all turned. No, this time Raziel was alone... So very alone. Worse than alone; he was a vampire, too. Even his own body was against him.

But without help, there was no chance of escape. The only way Raziel could get out was for him to become the vampire he was before he woke up. But he wouldn't let that happen. He wasn't doing much here, though. The only other possible thing he could do would be to die.

Then again, last time he tried that, he wasn't so successful, and was revived, anyway. But maybe the next time he did it he would be more successful. Maybe if he used fire or water or something. He'd rather die. Rather die than face what he was...

He really didn't want to face his vampirism. He hated vampires. Feared them. It was worse now, as he was now afraid that he couldn't resist them for much longer. And though he really didn't want to admit it, he'd rather die than face that fear.

But fear was what he was feeling.

And though he could stop looking at those cloven hands, his pale skin. Avoid the face his mirror showed, and avoid feeling his fangs, Raziel could not avoid the fact that his thirst would come back. Whether he wanted to or not, he was going to have to face that fear. He didn't know how though. All he felt that he could do was anticipate that cause of fear again. Anticipate the thirst.

Anticipate that addictive lust, which was breaking down that wall of fear Raziel had put up, separating him from vampires, brick by brick.


	5. Chapter 5

Kain sat on his throne, under the crumbling balance pillar; soul reaver leaning next to said throne, idly looking at the back of his claws, thoughtful. Recalling days long since past.

With the help of Vorador, giving Kain an example, he helped to demonstrate how to raise a corpse into a vampire. The two needed that, after a moment of debating who would lead after Kain had defeated the sarafan lord. They first needed to create more vampires and get rid of the rest of what remaining sarafan were there, after the hylden recreated the vampire-hunting group, practically brainwashing men to join, perhaps out of fear of the vampires. In any case, Vorador had some extra vampire lackey's that Kain put to good use, using their help to break into the tomb of the ancient sarafan which the hylden got their idea from. Kain remembered thinking that two could play at that game.

Raziel, the sarafan's leader, was chosen first. Vorador's devotees helped to carry the corpse out of the tomb, until Kain replaced the flesh on the sarafan skeleton, and used part of his soul to turn the dead sarafan into a vampire. There had been magical wards to prevent this. But Kain had dealt with those, easily enough.

Of course, not all of the sarafan of that time remembered the 'legendary' Raziel. But Kain remembered, with unmasked sadistic delight, the reaction of those sarafan who did remember. The effort felt worth it. And so Kain, one by one, raised the dead sarafan priests (barring Malek, the pillar guardian of conflict). He only had enough power to bring six vampires into being. It was nothing compared to the quantity that Vorador created. But then again, it was quality, not quantity that mattered. Besides, the sarafan's strength was an added bonus. Stronger than the average human, and thus stronger than the average vampire, Kain put his new lieutenants to good use. He removed the remaining sarafan menace, and took control of Nosgoth. Vorador, though having a greater number of vampires, fell under Kain's rule. He and what vampires he had disappeared. Kain saw them now and then, but paid them little heed. He had done what he wanted; obtained rule over Nosgoth.

But apparently there was a downside, considering current events.

He had considered it incredibly lucky that the sarafan that he raised had no memory of their previous life. And unlucky that Raziel had just started to remember his previous existence now. Of course, Nosgoth was under Kain's rule, and he didn't really need all of his lieutenants so much any more. But over time, he had started to grow fond of them, including Raziel. The sarafan realizing that he had become a vampire had been interesting. But he preferred to have his lieutenant back. He had thought that maybe a few quick reminders of what it was to be a vampire would have snapped him out of it, but that didn't work. Dumah's suggestion of hitting him silly was at least an option. It had worked with Magnus, ages ago. It could work, although Kain didn't necessarily need to hit him... There were still other, albeit more physical means to do that now, he thought with a grin. It was worth a shot.

Smirking, he got up, and concentrated on teleporting himself to Raziel's room...

* * *

Raziel woke up again, fortunately still satiated. He shook his head, hoping again that now he had woken up, all this time being a vampire would turn out to be a bad dream. He spotted the mirror on the other side of the wall. But again, though it was his face that stared back, it was pale. His hair was darker; the eyes that stared back were a cat-like yellow. And fangs still protruded from behind his dark lips. Frowning, Raziel hung his head. There was to be no awakening.

He then wondered what time it was. There were no windows in his room. Perhaps he could at least take a glance outside to see if there was a sun behind all that smog that now hung in the sky. So he opened the door, expecting to face a group of vampires guarding his room, as always...

... To find that there was none!

Raziel laughed relief and surprise flooding him. It was incredible! No one was guarding the door! Raziel could now escape, and at least avoid the vampires, and stop any brainwashing that they might attempt on him. He stopped himself for a split second, wondering if this was some vampire trick. But he shoved the thought aside. There was no sense, no possible benefit that the vampires could accomplish by doing that. No, he just thanked his luck, and ran off, not even considering why his guards had vanished. This time, though, he wasn't going to get caught again. If he went to take revenge on Kain, he would lose, and just be caught again. No, this time, he was going to stay as far away from this vampire lair until he had some sort of help or had planned a strategy of some sort.

He ran away, laughing. Freedom was so sweet...

* * *

Kain teleported just outside Raziel's room again. He preferred to use the Turelim he had placed on guard there, to help carry Raziel away. Besides, it was usually customary for a leader to have an escort. But as he approached the wooden door, he saw that there was absolutely no guard there. No razielhim, no turelim. Odd...

He looked around. Usually in a clan's territory there should have been at least a few vampires lurking around. But he couldn't spot anyone. And there was a clan leader that he had SPECIFACLY ordered to be guarded. Containing his anger, he went over the door, and checked inside. Sure enough, there was no one inside. No Raziel, No razielhim. No one.

Kain was more than angry. He was furious.

He spotted movement towards his left. He stormed towards it. It turned out to be a razielhim. She spotted Kain marching towards her, the look on his face sending chills down her spine. She stood still, hoping that his anger wasn't directed at her, and that if she would just do what she was told, she would get through Kain's wrath.

"YOU!" He yelled.

"Lord Kain." She bowed.

"Where are the other Razielhim, and the Turelim? Why isn't this place guarded, like I ordered? AND WHERE IS RAZIEL?" He yelled at her.

"I I I don't know, my lord." The girl stuttered. "I I I I only just got here."

"Wrong answer." He snapped, and sliced the razielhim's neck with his claw, a fatal wound. The girl fell onto the cold stone floor, blood leaking.

* * *

Matt and Kat returned in time to see Kain kill a random razielhim who had the misfortune to turn up at a bad time like this. They hid behind a wall before they ran off. They all knew. Never cross Kain when he was in a temper. It was safer to walk into a sunlit pool of water than to mess with him. Before they ran off, though, they watched Kain storm off, probably looking to see if he could spot any more Razielhim. They stayed well hidden.

"Oh crap we're in for it now." Matt muttered. Sure enough, the next time the Razielhim were summoned, they were chewed out. Although some were fortunately absent from Kain's anger over the fact Raziel had escaped, and that his Razielhim let him do so due to their incompetence.

* * *

Rouge hid in the branches of the dying tree. The trees in Nosgoth, at least around the Sanctuary of the clans, were mostly gone. But there were still some still standing, at least at this point in time. And so, Rouge hid in the early night, like a leopard in a tree.

She couldn't help but muse; in her life before she was a vampire; she was kicked out of home, forced to live on her own out on the streets. No parents to look after her, she had to survive on her own, until the razielhim she met showed her that she could live a better life. And while trying to survive on her own, she had learnt a few things.

She was a predator now, and she didn't have a field of grain or vegetables to provide her next meal. No, she had to hunt and get it on her own. Although, vampires did tend to share and share alike, so she might be allowed to have a drink provided for her, at times. Vampires did share and share alike. But it was preferable that she got it herself. Yet, ironically enough, her leader, Raziel, who now thought he was human, a Sarafan no less, would refuse to hunt and kill another human. She couldn't fathom why; in his previous life, he had hunted vampires. Of course, the Sarafan were more brutal, but they didn't think of themselves like that.

Predator. Prey. Everyone does what he or she must to survive. Rouge guessed, shrugging her shoulders.

She stopped her musing abruptly. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted movement. There was little sunlight, of course. A vampire couldn't exist in any other environment. And the dull gray of the day had already long since passed dusk. Rouge's eyes easily adjusted. She saw Raziel running quickly away from the fields, wary. Rouge shook her head.

_What's going on now?_ She wondered to herself. Then she noticed the irony of the situation. She had escaped a life without parents, living on her own. But now she had a new life, she had lost her leader. Again, she had to live without a parental figure, and it's support. If she was to get him back, though, she had best follow him. She couldn't help but smirk to herself, as she set off. If there was any rule that dominated Nosgoth, it was Murphy's law.

Shedropped downfrom the branches of the tree she was sitting in.She had Raziel to catch up with.

* * *

Raziel still couldn't believe it. He was finally free!

But still cursed...

But even if that were so, he was now free. He could at least find help of some sort. There had to be humans somewhere. What else would the vampires feed on? But where would the humans be? He had hoped that not too much had passed, and that the villages he once knew of would still be in their same locations. He needed to remember where such towns lay, and tried to remember the geography of Nosgoth. That, at least, should be constant. Judging by the sun's setting, from what little of such sun through the cloud he could see, he was heading west. The area seemed to be mostly rural and sloped up so he could, after a distance, see most of Nosgoth. Looking back, in the darkening (but oddly see-able, being a vampire) east, he saw the fortress he had just escaped. He remembered vaguely seeing the pillars, corrupted from the vampiric presence, no doubt, and housed within some gleaming citadel, where Kain seemed to center his rule.

Judging from the pillars' location and his own, he looked right, towards the south, where the sarafan stronghold should have laid. But there was what looked like a large body of water separating the stronghold from his position, although there seemed to be some sort of abbey in it. In any case, from what little he could see from his position, the stronghold seemed to have become derelict. It's former magnificence Raziel had known it to be in real life seemed to have faded.

Indeed, if what he saw of the large vampire population wasn't enough proof that the age of the sarafan was over, the cold, tomb-like stronghold confirmed it. Raziel's heart sank. There didn't seem to be any hope or help there. But perhaps he could find other humans. He looked north, and saw what looked like the remainder of Vasserbunde. It was not the best of places; he rarely went there as a human. Beyond that, eastwards, lay what should have been Coorhagen, a growing city from what Raziel remembered. It, at least, still looked alive, and a citadel seemed to be in the process of being built there, with the river being redirected around it. And Vasserbunde was worth a look. Hopefully he wouldn't see too many vampires there. He needed to be ready, first.

Further east he saw another city. Raziel didn't remember it from his previous life. Perhaps, that too, could be checked out, later, if he had the chance. He couldn't see any further than that, as the smog which blocked out the sun seemed to coalesce in the far east land, perhaps originating from there. But he had seen enough. He set off northeast.

But then he stopped himself. What would he do with humans when he was cursed himself? Would he come to them, only to have his thirst drive him to kill everyone?

Perhaps, like before, he could use cattle and such. It worked before...

And he wanted his revenge.


	6. Chapter 6

Graves. Nothing but graves. Nobody was alive, and no matter how much Raziel searched what was left of Vasserbunde, all he found was buried bodies. He searched desperately, hoping to find at least one person, spotting a body, to find it simply dead, sucked dry ages ago, and decaying. Vasserbunde had become a necropolis, a city of graves. The loss of it's inhabitants, no matter what they were like before, gave Raziel a heavy feeling of depression, as well as more incentive to take revenge on the vampires for laying waste the town. The cold, empty loneliness Raziel was beginning to feel seemed to make the many grave sites more spooky. The whole area contained nothing but death. Then again, he was dead himself. Raziel shuddered at the thought; glad he didn't go to the tomb-like sarafan stronghold after all.

"Raziel..."

Raziel tensed, hearing the whisper from the fog around him. The place was creeping him out enough, he wondered if his imagination was getting the worst of him.

"Razielllllllll..." The voice teased again. There was definitely someone there. Raziel looked around, but couldn't see much for the fog. His eyes widened in surprise when he heard a yell, which sent Raziel running towards where he could tell where the source was.

"AAAAARRRGGHHH!" A man was running from a female vampire through a gravesite, only to be caught, and dragged back to her embrace. He tried to pull away from her, but she pulled him back, and bit into his neck, taking the man's blood with relish, until the man slumped down back onto the ground, dead. The one free man Raziel could have found killed. Raziel balked at the scene. Worse still, was the feeling he got from simply watching the scene. The feeling that he wanted to go and join her, and her killing... Raziel balked again.

The female vampire, which Raziel was sure he recognized from earlier, smiled at him, noting the look on his face. "What, it's not as if you don't enjoy the taste yourself..."

Rage built up inside Raziel. "Shut up!" He hissed, running towards her. But before she could attack, the vampire had dodged him, and now stood behind him.

"Please, Lord Raziel, come back home." The vampire pleaded.

"Shut up!" Raziel snarled again. "I'm not one of you!"

"You're our leader, Lord Raziel." She corrected. "We need you. We want our Lord Raziel back."

"Well I'm not him." Raziel attacked her again, this time he succeeded, slashing her side, blood leaking from her uniform. Raziel grinned. Since he was so thirsty, maybe he could use this witch for a feed. She looked up at him.

"You are him, Raziel. Please, stop this. Come back home." With that said, she ran off into the fog.

"Oh, no you don't!" Raziel hissed, running after her. He wanted to let loose some of his anger, anger from the fact that this place was now dead, no doubt because of the vampires. But by the time he caught up with her, he saw her jump up onto a higher ledge. He searched for her in the fog, but he had lost her and his chance of letting off his steam. His vampiric face twisted into visage of rage. But he couldn't do much about it. He decided to set off what used to be Coorhagen. This place was just creeping him out. He didn't like the graves that littered the place. The reminder that he was dead too, he hated even more.

* * *

Meanwhile...

Garth smirked, as Julie pushed him towards the bed, laughing. He wrapped his arms around her waist, as they kissed. They both tumbled onto the bed...

"EVERYBODY! WE MUST WORK TOGETHER IF WE ARE TO REMOVE THE VAMPIRE PLAGUE!" A voice shouted from outside, easily heard despite the walls between the two lovers and the man yelling from outside. Garth broke the kiss, surprised, the mood totally ruined. Julie hung her head at the interruption. "Oh, what is it this time?" She frowned. Garth shook his head, not knowing. The two had gotten away with their vampire-human relationship, so far. But the idea of someone rallying another holy war obviously made Garth nervous. "I'll go take a look." He said, getting up disappointed himself at the interruption.

"I'll come too." Julie said, adjusting her skirt again, moving down the hall to the front door, peeking out, before seeing a crowd in the middle of the street, their backs towards the abode they had just left. Garth knew enough to keep his face hidden. He wasn't like the rest of the vampires that populated most of Nosgoth, but with a good look you could still spot one or two vampiric traits. It was probably because he wasn't from Kain's brood. He was one of the few remains of Vorador's kin. He kept his head down, his claws in his pockets, and his ears open.

* * *

"HAVEN'T YOUR PEOPLE LIVED LONG ENOUGH UNDER THIS MONSTER'S RULE? HOW LONG HAVE YOU PEOPLE LIVED AS MERE CATTLE TO HIM? WE'RE HUMAN! AREN'T WE MORE THAN CATTLE?" The man rallying was oddly dressed, wearing a thick black cloak hiding most of his body and face. Garth dared to look up; there was something about this man...

"SHOULDN'T WE SHOW THOSE FIENDS THAT OURSELVES? THAT WE ARE MORE THAN CATTLE! LET US FIGHT TOGETHER, AND FINALLY REMOVE THE SHACKLES THAT KAIN HAS PLACED ON OUR HANDS!"

"Can't argue with that." Muttered Garth, meaning the latter part of what the man was saying. He wasn't too fond of Kain himself. But hey, what could one person, vampire or human, do?

But it was a big mistake. A woman turned to look at who was talking, about to agree, when she caught a glance at his yellow eyes.

"Vampire!" The woman yelled, pointing at Garth accusingly. The entire crowd, barring Julie, who attempted to pull her lover away, stared at Garth.

"AHA! THE FIENDS ATTEMPT TO WALK AMONG US! WE SHALL SHOW HIM THE ERR OF HIS WAYS! LET HIM BE THE FIRST TO DIE!" The man yelled, pointing also at Garth from under his sleeve. The crowd clawed at him, trying to bring him forward. And though inside, Garth kept on thinking 'Oh shit I'm in for it now,' he felt oddly calm. Lifting up his head, exposing his vampiric traits, he raised his voice to shout. "I think you should take a good look at the person who claims to help you. For I believe that he is not one to talk!"

"Huh?" Several of the mob stopped, puzzled at his words, turning back to the man who was rallying them.

"DON'T LISTEN TO HIM. HE ONLY SEEKS TO CONFUSE YOU TO ENSURE THAT HE ESCAPES. KILL HIM NOW BEFORE HE TRIES TO ESCAPE!" The cloak man yelled back.

"Before he tries to escape?" Garth repeated to himself, incredulous. "What kind of hunter are you, as to show no mercy, even to your enemy?"

"VAMPIRES DESERVE NO MERCY, I TELL YOU!" Cloak man yelled back, lifting up his arms wide. "THE FIENDS ARE NOTHING BUT VILE PREDATORS THAT WILL KILL YOU ALL. WE MUST KILL THEM NOW IF WE ARE TO SURVIVE! WILL THEY SHOW YOU MERCY? NEVER! THEN, SHOULD WE SHOW THEM MERCY? HELL NO!"

"Well I have lived with this vampire long enough. He may be a predator, but I still love him!" Julie yelled, getting into the argument. Several of the crowd gasped at the revelation, with several of a 'Julie, no!" thrown into the mix, including Garth himself. Julie turned to him. "No, Garth. I won't let this jerk separate us!"

"LOVE HIM?" The cloak man yelled incredulously. "YOU FOOL! HOW CAN YOU TRUST HIM? HE'LL KILL YOU OR CONVERT YOU THE MOMENT YOU LET YOUR GUARD DOWN!"

"He's had a bloody long enough time to do that, but he hasn't yet!" Julie yelled back. "I WON'T LET YOU KILL HIM!" Julie placed herself between Garth and the crowd, arms spread out in protest.

"FOOL! THE FIEND IS BIDING HIS TIME FOR THE OPPURTUNE MOMENT! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" The cloaked man began moving through the crowd, and had taken a sword, ready to use it against the vampire that Julie stood before.

"NEVER! I won't leave him!" Julie protested.

"THE FIEND HAS TURNED THIS GIRL'S MIND!" Cloak man yelled, turning back to the crowd, before looking back at Julie again.

"IF SHE WANTS TO STAND IN OUR WAY, LIKE A TRAITOR, SO BE IT!" The cloaked man raised his sword, and before anyone could stop him, as the man was strangely quick to move, he brought it down on the girl. Fortunately, Garth, who was still behind Julie, reacted in time to pull her back by the hips. The sword slashed down on the girl's arm, leaving a deep, bloody gash. Julie now away from the cloaked figure, winced, clutching her injured arm, still in Garth's embrace. "How could you?" Garth scowled at the cloaked figure, angry at what he had done to his lover. He didn't yell, but quietly he asked the cloaked man. The look was apparently lost on the man, but not on the crowd. Slowly, they tore their gaze from the injured girl, held carefully in the predator's arms, towards the man who was a moment ago rallying them, who didn't seem to care at what he had just done. Eventually, he noticed the angry glares he was getting from the people around him.

"What? She was defending the enemy." The figure stated a little too simply. "Anyone who's a friend of vampires is an enemy!"

"So you'll kill me just because of whom I love?" Julie spoke up then winced from the pain in her arm.

"Shhhhhhh." Garth said, laying her gently down, the ripping a part of his shirt out to cover her wound.

"I..." The figure lowered his sword, silent. After a pause, however, he shook his head. "THE GIRL IS A TRAITOR, AND HAS CHOSEN THE VAMPIRE'S SIDE. SHE WOULD HAVE LET HERSELF BEEN CONVERTED. IT IS BEST THAT SHE BE SAVED NOW, NO MATTER HOW. WILL YOU PEOPLE LET THAT HAPPEN TO YOU? DO YOU WANT TO LIVE THE REST OF AN ETERNITY FEEDING OFF THE LIFEBLOOD OF OTHERS? DO YOU WANT TO BE LIKE THOSE VERMIN WHO SEEK TO DOMINATE US? DO YOU WANT TO BECOME AS EVIL AS THEY ARE? NEVER, I SAY! LET US ALL RISE AGAINST THOSE PARASITES, WE SHALL NEVER BECOME LIKE THEM..." The figure had raised his sword while he was saying this, but stopped when Garth stood up. Garth kept his face lowered, the dark bangs of his hair hiding his golden eyes from the cloaked man before him, his expression unreadable, until he began chuckling darkly. "Methinks the man doth protest a trifle too much..." He grinned.

The crowd now began clawing at the cloaked figure, who began to back away, albeit too late. The hood of the cloak was lowered, revealing the man to indeed be a vampire.

"He's a vampire!" A man yelled, shocked.

"It's a trick!"

"None other than the vampire Raziel!"

"Wait!" Another man ran up. "Why would a vampire try to get us to fight against his own kind?"

"It's vampire trick!" A woman yelled.

"No." Raziel spoke up. "I used to be a Sarafan, before Kain changed me... into this... This abomination!"

"A Sarafan?" Several people gasped. The man who had just defended him tensed, his eyebrow twitching.

"But now that I'm in my right mind I want to help you people be free again, like the sarafan hero I used to be..." Raziel explained.

"You mean the same Sarafan who bullied Nosgoth and taxed the people dry? All in the name of removing the vampire scourge?" The man clenched his fist, still facing away from Raziel.

"Uh..." Raziel stared at the man's back blankly.

"And I fine job you did of it too!" Another man stared at Raziel, clutching his rake.

"We don't want any Sarafan bossing us about! We'd be happier with the vampires!"

"Defend the innocent, my ass!"

Garth turned away from the crowd advancing on the ex-sarafan, carefully picking up Julie, holding her between his arms, and carrying her back to their home.

"Come on Julie. Let's get back to what we were doing before."

Julie winced again at the blood coming from the cloth holding her wound closed.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it." Garth reassured her. Julie looked back up at him, a smile decorating her pretty features, nodding. Garth simply smiled back.

"You can't do this to me! I'm a hero!" Raziel protested, struggling in his bonds, trying to get out of the catapult, and feeling rather angry and rejected.

"And we salute you for it." The man from before said absently. "Goodbye now!"

Raziel was sent flying off high into the horizon, back in the direction to where his vampire friends should make him feel welcome. The mob watched him disappear happily, thankful to be spared the one cure that was worse than the illness.


	7. Chapter 7

Rahab swam between the columns and bridges that sprinkled the drowned abbey, enjoying the feel of cold water rushing by him, the feeling that no other kind of vampire but his own could feel. He saw his reflection on the way up from the abbey's depth's, and rushed towards it, carefully rising without causing a splash, as a good hunter should, leaping from the water onto the ledge of a building. At that moment though Rahab sensed something; above from the gray rain clouds that blocked out the deadly sun, there came a strange whistling. He turned his head, wondering from which direction it was coming from. He heard an audible crack coming from the building behind him. He didn't get time to look up when his brother Raziel dropped onto ledge not to far from where he stood.

"Lord Rahab!" A Rahabhim jumped into the scene as he emerged from the water. "Kain is issuing a warning to be on the lookout for Lord Raziel, who still has amnesia..." He stopped when he saw Raziel himself, unconscious.

"Yeah, well tell Kain he just dropped in." Rahab replied flatly. "Don't know how we're going to get him out of this place..." He muttered to himself. The Rahabhim heard him, however. But he simply nodded before he left. "Yes, Lord Rahab."

Rahab watched him go, then turned to Raziel, thinking for a moment. "He hit his head pretty hard! I wonder if he's still got amnesia." He wondered aloud.

His question was answered when Raziel groaned, his face scrunching up from his new headache. The two aquatic vampires watched as Raziel hesitantly opened his eyes.

"Ugh... Where am I now?"

"The drowned abbey, home of the Rahabim, brother."

* * *

Rouge trudged through the pastoral land, through knee-high grass, trying to ignore the sheep following her.

"Get lost." She hissed at them. Obviously, they didn't understand her, and kept following her like the good little sheep they were.

"Shoo!" She tried again. No luck. Flustered, she moved away faster, before she smirked.

"MUTTON!" She yelled at the sheep. She snickered as they finally ran away.

"Hey! Get lost!" A farmer came up to her, waving a rake in her direction. Rouge watched him run over, giving him a flat stare. She was sick of trudging through this dump, and though she already had her fill, she thought the farmer was somewhat stupid to challenge a vampire by himself, rake or no. "Stay away from my flock! I've had enough of vampires taking off with them!"

"You would prefer that I'd take you?" Rouge crossed her arms. The farmer backed away, a little more wise for wear. "Uh... No! Go ahead, take whatever you like!" He offered her, nervous.

"Humph. I'm not interested in cattle." She shook her head, about to move off, when she stopped. "Hey, did you just say that there were other vampires taking off with your sheep?"

"Yeah." He replied nervously. "Tall... black neck length hair. Big jaw... Pale and evil looking... Sort of like you." Rouge sneered at the man's remark, causing his to back away even further, wielding his rake at her again.

"I'm just telling you what I saw!" The farmer finished nervously.

"Did you see where he went?" She asked him calmly.

"He went off towards that new citadel." The farmer indicated the human citadel not too far away. "There's been some commotion going on there, I tell you..."

"Thanks." She replied, before walking away. The farmer let out a sigh of relief, lowering his rake as he watched her go. He laughed to himself in sheer relief

* * *

"T... The drowned abbey?" Raziel shook his head, confused, clutching the back of his head. He then recognized whom he was talking to. "Rahab." His head lowered sadly, then did a double take. "HEY! If you're a vampire, how can you survive in water?"

"I guess you still have amnesia." Rahab commented, shaking his head thoughtfully.

"Hey!" Raziel protested. "I'm not the one with amnesia. You are, Rahab!"

"Suuuurreeeeeee I am." Rahab said placantingly. "Whatever makes you happy."

"It's true. I don't think you remember the human you used to be, do you?"

Rahab simply shrugged in reply. But before Raziel could say anything else, Rahab realized. "Someone should tell Lord Kain that Raziel's still got amnesia. I had better greet him personally." Rahab said. Raziel stood up threateningly as Rahab left.

"Come back, Rahab! I've still got to free your soul! HEY! RAHAB!" But Rahab was gone, leaving Raziel alone on the ledge.

He wondered; what had happened, before he got here? He was at the human citadel, near what was left of Coorhagen. He had rallied some people in effort to have some help in fighting the vampire oppressors. He almost had some help, too, until they rejected him. Why? Because the Sarafan raised taxes? And attacked human sympathizers for vampires? But it was necessary! Why couldn't they see that? It didn't matter, so long as the vampires had gone for once and for all. He supposed that it might seem cruel in one perspective, but he was too busy feeling rejected and angry at them. He was trying to help them, for crying out loud! In any case, if he wanted to find help in fighting the vampires, he couldn't turn to today's humans, or at least the ones at the citadel. By the look of things, they wouldn't help. And no thanks to them, he was back among the vampires he was trying to escape from. Yeah... Real great help there. Now how was he going to escape?

* * *

Kain teleported to the bell tower of the abbey, where he usually met when he wanted to talk to Rahab in his territory. He spotted a Rahabim on guard there, with his back to Kain, watching the area below him. Kain cleared his throat, catching the Rahabim's attention. "Lord Kain." He bowed formally; thinking that Kain hadn't noticed the slip of his guard.

"I was told that Raziel was seen here..." Kain noted coolly.

"Rahab has him under guard not too far from here..." The Rahabim explained, then sensed his leader, nodding in Rahab's direction.

"Lord Kain." Rahab announced.

"Well?"

"Raziel's here. He got hit on the head again, but he's still lost it." Rahab explained.

"And his injury had no effect?" Kain asked, with the barest hint of worry crossing his features. Rahab shook his head solemnly.

"Very well. It's best that he be sent back to the sanctuary then."

* * *

Kain teleported at the edge of the water where three Turelim waited nearby, with a struggling Raziel in tow. The ex-lieutenant managed after a moment to escape from Kain's grasp and he turned and ran, towards the water's edge. He was just in time to see two Rahabim splash out of the water in front of him, and he turned and ran in the other direction by the time Rahab that leaped out of the water himself. Raziel dodged one Turelim, then swiped his claws at the eyes of another, blinding it. He had just started to attack the third Turelim, when Kain grabbed him from behind by the scruff of the neck.

"Enough of that now." Kain growled into his ear.

"Let me go!" Raziel tried to twist around and attack Kain, then settled for trying to kick Kain behind him. Kain threw him towards the nearest Turelim, who grabbed a better hold of Raziel.

"Calm down already!" Rahab scolded the hissing and spitting vampire before him. "You're going to be all right. You're head's just going to be fixed up. Kain won't hurt you..." Rahab gritted his teeth, truning away before muttering to himself. "...Much."

But Rahab's attempt at reassuring his brother had the opposite effect on the ex-sarafan.

"All right? All right! How can you say that, when you fiends intend to bury my mind under the abomination you turned me into? I'm not falling for your false sense of security!" Raziel hissed.

"I want my lieutenant back." Kain snarled, before he gave his 'son' a good hit on the back of the head, knocking him out. "Take him back to the dungeons. Not back to his room." Kain ordered the two turelim that held the unconscious vampire between them.

"There will be no escape for you this time, Raziel." Kain muttered to himself.

* * *

Raziel sat back against the hard cold stone walls behind him. Raziel was alone now; the dungeons were hardly used now, as the few prisoners that vampires took were usually human, and kept in a 'larder' that was separate. Raziel felt that he couldn't be anymore depressed than he was now. The people he used to be one of had rejected him. The vampires were planning to turn him back into the filthy demon he was before, wanting their kin back. It was a far cry from when he was a sarafan, with his brethren, and other humans cheering him on while he eradicated the vampire scourge. Now no one wanted him. After all he did, protecting humanity from their predators, doing what was necessary...

And righteous.

Everything he did was justifiable. Necessary, but righteous. Humans did not prey on vampires. No, it was the other way around. He was defending humanity; even from it's own traitors. Maybe Kain had a point; they needed to feed. But they were demons, and therefore they were evil. Raziel felt... no, he knew, that everything he did was right. He was the good guy, and he had a job to do. And he had to do whatever it took to get it done. But as he was doing it to protect humanity, it was still the right thing. But did they appreciate it? Noooooo.

But that shouldn't stop him from doing his job. True he enjoyed it. But so what? He chose that job to defeat his fear. But there was a second reason; He knew when he was a sarafan, that what he was doing was righteous.

And so long as Raziel knew that, nothing was going to stop him.

* * *

"HEY!" Garth yelled, running out of the home, after the dark figure, which he could already tell was a vampire itself. He didn't want to run far from Julie though, and gave up after he lost sight. It was only one bottle, although it was good quality. Grumbling, Garth walked back indoors.

Bob sat on the rooftop of the building he had just ran out of, and popped open the bottle he had just found, chugging it's contents. It seemed to taste better than all of the previous drinks he had had before in comparison. He was in for a disappointment, however, when the bottle was slapped out of his hands, until it rolled into the roof's gutter, neck pointed up.

"WHAT do you think you're doing?" Kat hissed. "Haven't you had enough of this stuff?"

"Leave him, Kat. If he wants to be an idiot, let him." Matt said. "We still need to find Lord Raziel. I've tracked him back up to this place, but after that, he had just... disappeared."

"Oh, him!" The trio turned to find another vampire on the roof behind them, rolling his eyes.

"That Raziel was sent back to your sanctuary a few days ago." Garth explained.

"Uh... thanks." Matt bowed in gratitude of the information given.

"Now, may I please have my well paid liquor back?" Garth asked calmly, his hand held out. Bob sullenly pointed to where it fell in the gutter; it's contents still not even half-empty. Garth disappeared, making his exit with it.

"Great. All this for nothing. Lord Raziel's already home!" Matt groaned.

"No need to hang around here, then." Bob commented wistfully.

"Oh, come on."


	8. Chapter 8

Raziel hated falling asleep. He wondered which was worse; the nightmare he was currently 'living' in, or the nightmares his sleeping produced. In the end he decided on the latter, cursing his treacherous body for giving his subconscious all those evil ideas. And he needed to resist that evil for as long as he could. So he did his best to stay awake. It wasn't much good though. Being chained to a wall tended to not only be uncomfortable, but also quite boring. Plus, he hadn't had a good drink in a while. Not since he had been to the human citadel, in fact, and fed on sheep nearby. He was thirsty... And he could smell something coming from outside the dungeon. It was definitely blood. Human blood.

_No._ Raziel reminded himself. _I'm not like that._

He was righteous! A sarafan! He would resist this evil that the vampires had forced upon him. He wrinkled his nose in effort to block out the smell.

Kain seemed to have chosen an oddly appropriate place for a dungeon. Right next to his 'cellar'.

After that, a vampire entered. It was the female Raziel recognized from earlier, he noticed.

"Raziel." She said sadly. "Please, why do you fight it still? Give up and come back to your senses."

"Go away." He hissed.

"But we miss our Lord. We... the Razielhim need him... you."

"The Razielhim?" Raziel commented. "You mean... I ... created..."

She nodded solemnly. Raziel stood, silent for a time. "No." He said, finally, stating his denial. His mind now had the fresh image of him placing a bloody wrist into some person's mouth, turning them into vampires as well. Raziel did his best to block that imagery out.

The female looked behind, and realized she should take her leave. "Have it your way, then, SARAFAN." She sneered, leaving.

Soon enough, Kain entered the dungeon, scrutinizing Raziel as he approached. Raziel eyed him back, defiantly, and narrowed his amber eyes as Kain stopped. He was still thirsty, and wished he could take down the uber-vampire before him, drink his blood, take revenge for what he did to him. Almost involuntarily, Raziel tried attacking Kain through the bars of his cell, to no avail.

"Are you quite finished?" Kain asked his captive coolly.

"Die, fiend!" Raziel simply spat.

Kain ignored him. "Well, Raziel, there seems to be a problem." Kain walked around, standing next to Raziel. "Nothing seems to wake you up." With that said, Kain smacked him on the head. Hard.

"Aaaaaaaahhhh!" Raziel growled. "Bastard!"

"And that doesn't seem to work either." Kain said. "I want my lieutenant back."

"Get this straight _Kain_; There is no way I'll serve you. Not now, not ever. Kill me if you must, but I will not become that demon again. Put the thought out of your head."

"You sound so sure of yourself." Kain mused.

Raziel looked away, lest Kain see the fluster that worked its expression onto his face. "I do happen to know myself. I'm a sarafan; no one can take that from me. There's no way I'll stop being loyal to my cause."

"Oh, don't worry about that." Kain mused. "You'll still be loyal, just not to the side you wanted."

"Why you..." Raziel snarled, struggling at his bonds again. "BASTARD! You'll never make me a vampire! Just kill me, damn it!"

"Kill you?" Kain seemed to think for a moment, considering. "Let me tell you something. For a time, I, too, despised this 'gift'." He looked at his claws, which were once hands. "I sought for a release, and while doing so, was led to kill the circle of nine..."

Raziel's eyes widened in realization. The same circle of nine he was employed by...

"You..." Raziel gaped, horrified. "Malek, Michelle, Mortanius... MOEBIUS? You murdered them?"

"Well, some of those." Kain corrected, offhand. "Most of them were different from the ones of your age, I suppose." Kain did not mention that Vorador killed most of the circle of nine, then. "Besides, they were led to corruption from a conspiracy when the balance guardian was murdered. They had to be killed. But when I had finally done so, I realized; I was new balance guardian. For the corruption to end, I had to die."

"And you refused to sacrifice yourself." Raziel replied wryly. "You know, I doubt this is going to impress me, so if you're..."

Kain held his hand up, silencing Raziel. "Not only did I not so that, but I gave up searching for a cure. As vampires, we are dark gods, Raziel. Superior to humans."

"Don't give me that crap." Raziel sneered. "Vampires are evil demons. Justice needs to be done, and they, and you, have to be killed."

"But you ARE a vampire, Raziel." Kain pointed out.

Raziel paused for a moment, considering, before talking to Kain again. "The vampires are demons, who deserve no less..."

Kain frowned. "Must you loathe vampires so much?"

"Yes." Raziel stated dully.

"Raziel, I could do a lot for you. More than you can imagine. Why fight?" Kain asked.

"You're evil, demon."

"And you're not?" Kain mocked. "You're not listening to me!"

"Of course not. Everything you say is warped to get me. You're just trying to confuse me. I can't listen to a word you say."

Kain tilted his head in contemplation. "True. Some of it anyway"  
"Why, for a vampire, you DO show signs of limited intelligence. Of course!"

Kain seemed to bristle with indignation at the insult the ex-sarafan threw at him. But then he walked in front of Raziel, smiling coldly, looking directly into his eyes. Somehow, this intimidated Raziel, and he cringed...

Kain bared his fist in front of Raziel's face. Raziel just looked at warily.

"Do try and show me some respect, Raziel." Kain said, warning him.

"As if." Raziel replied.

Kain didn't seem too happy, and picked him up by his collarbone, Kain's claws sinking into flesh, lifting Raziel up above him.

"WHAT did I just say?"

"I don't... care!" Raziel spat. "Go ahead... torture me... all you... Want." Raziel managed to voice out through Kain's stranglehold, daring him. "I'll... never give... up!"

Kain began to chuckle darkly. And then he slowly let Raziel back down. "Really?" He mused.

"Do your worst." Raziel scowled, and then braced for the worst. But nothing happened. Slowly, he opened one eye to see Kain smiling at him. "You know, you're right."

"Huh?" Raziel really didn't expect Kain to admit that.

"I wouldn't even be surprised if the Sarafan are trained for this sort of thing. Pain won't affect you enough. I'll just have to use... another method..." Kain commented, thoughtfully, turning to leave.

Raziel stared at the uber-vampire's back, worriedly. Just what was that fiend up to now?


	9. Chapter 9

Raziel, although now in a cell, could at least allow himself to sleep more comfortably than he would have had he still been outdoors. It was the best rest he had in a while, and when he did wake up, he still felt groggy. He saw in the cell, through sleep blurred eyes another prisoner. A human woman, who was also resting. Getting up, he decided to give her a closer look.

On closer inspection, Raziel found that it was definitely a human girl. He brushed away some of her hair from her neck, and saw her artery pulsing on her neck, which reminded his body that he hadn't had a decent drink for a long time.

Groggy as he was, he couldn't quite remember why he would be so adverse to vampirism and feeding. Why couldn't he simply throw off all the barriers and fears he kept, and give in to instinct? He was thirsty enough as it was, why not do as his body told him to do?

He glanced at the woman's neck for a moment, before striking it, quick as a snake, and began sucking on her. The woman awoke with a start, and saw what was causing her pain, what was being done to her, and screamed.

Raziel's eyes widened at her screams, which seemed to wake him up.

_What am I doing?_ Raziel thought to himself, alarmed, and pulled away, shocked, disgusted at himself. As soon as he did, he desperately wanted to latch his mouth back onto the woman's neck, which was starting to leak more blood onto her clothes, as the woman stood up, pressed against the cell wall in fear of Raziel.

Raziel stared at the girl, still horrified at what he had done. He pondered; What was he doing? He was supposed to be a sarafan! He was supposed to protect these people! How could he give into the vampires like that?

Then again, the people of today, which he had met, didn't seem to want any of his help or protection. No, they rejected him. After all the heroism, after all he did for humans, eventually all they did was grow to hate them.

Typical.

He remembered the rejection he felt towards humans, with a frown. They didn't want his help? Fine. He didn't owe them anything. Forget being a sarafan. Nobody wanted him as one? Fine. He stared at the cowering woman again, this time with a hungry, predatory look, at the leaking blood on her clothes, her neck, and slowly moved closer as the woman cringed. And he was still thirsty, anyway. He moved closer still, and allowed his mouth to move back onto the woman's neck...

"Am I interrupting anything?"

Raziel spun in surprise, spotting Kain outside of his cage, smirking as he spotted Raziel red handed in the act of voluntarily drinking someone. Shocked and embarrassed, feeling as scum as much as he considered the vampires would be, he pushed the girl away, and backed into another wall, himself. Again, he was shocked at what he was thinking. Become a vampire? And serve this demon? Serve Kain? Moebius' killer? Raziel's lip curled in disgust at what he was about to do. No way was he going to let that filth win! Besides, he was supposed to be the righteous one still. Just because a bunch of humans didn't like him or what he was doing was no reason to give up, tempting as that was, and he still had a responsibility to maintain. Who cared what they thought? HE knew he was doing the right thing. He couldn't give up!

"_You_." Raziel hissed at Kain.

"Oh, don't stop on my account." Kain commented.

Raziel moved away in a show of his refusal to continue to feed any further.

"There is no shame in it, Raziel. After all, we all do it, being vampires." Raziel frowned at Kain's words. He shoved the mental image of him standing before Kain, with his turned brethren around him chanting 'One of us! One of us! One of us!'

"And besides, it is quite noticeable that you enjoy violence, even from what I heard of your previous life, why deny it?" It was meant to be a rhetorical question, but Raziel answered anyway. "Because what I do is righteous. I've told you enough times already."

"Face the facts, you don't enjoy your job because it's righteous. You just love the slaughter. Like I said before, your righteousness is simply an excuse. BUT..." Kain added before Raziel could open his mouth. "... I happen to know that you'll still like it, without that excuse."

Raziel opened his mouth now, leaving it agape in shock. "You DARE to presume to tell me how I feel?" Raziel yelled, angry and enraged. "You arrogant..."

"Well, I have known 'you' for quite some time..." Kain said thoughtfully.

Raziel ignored Kain's musings. "I am NOT some sort of psychopath!"

Kain turned to him, away from his thoughts, looking at Raziel, and laughed. Raziel backed off, surprised, the surprise eventually turning to insult.

"Hey!"

Kain stopped laughing, yet a smile still crossed his features. He shook his head, glancing at the woman cowering in the corner of Raziel's cell.

"Come now, Raziel. We both kill to survive. My method is just... a little different from yours. In fact, in a way, your goals... the Sarafan's, is the same as the vampires." Kain smiled, "After what you did to the famous Janos Audron, its obvious you don't mind being bloodthirsty."

Big deal. So Raziel had done some things to vampires himself. And he enjoyed it. It was pretty sick doing it to a human, but to a vampire? He could be as sadistic as he wanted, since they were demons, and he was allowed to despise them, while caring for the circle of nine, and humankind. Besides the vampires threatened the circle's existence, and part of that satisfaction was from the righteousness he felt by protecting humanity. He didn't want any evil on them such as that that the vampires might give.

But then, what was he doing just moments ago?

Raziel scolded himself. He had slipped badly that time. He had to get out of there! The vampires weren't going to give him a choice. Either he was going to become a vampire... or he was going to become a vampire.

Raziel sat back down, covering his head with his arms, trying to come up with a plan, trying to concentrate by shutting off the outside world, shutting off the smells of the crying woman not too far away, still alive at the moment despite being bitten. Raziel tried to ignore the screaming desire to go back after her, which, though he tried, couldn't brush out of his mind.

He felt so... wrong!

* * *

"So, what ARE we going to do now?" A Razielhim asked, sitting cross-legged again, running his finger around a glass rim with the drink he had.

"All we need to do is wait for our Lord to come back, yes?" Kat replied, bored, flipping through a book.

"Yeah, but how long would that take?"

"As long as required." Kat replied.

"Look, why don't we go hunt? It's about time we do." Matt suggested.

"I'm so used to having a leader around. We need one." Vosa said, ignoring Matt.

"If worst comes to worst, we could always go under the leadership of one of the other clan leaders. Or Kain himself." Kat noted idly.

"Which one?" The other Razielhim asked idly, his finger now making the glass hum.

"Well, it is Dumah's fault that all of this started." Matt pointed out.

"Might as well go to him, in that case." Kat said idly, closing the book.

"Well, we'll figure it out when the need arises. But for now, I need to take my leave..." Matt explained. The other Razielhim nodded absently and he left. He didn't go far when he ran into Rouge.

"Hello...Rouge! We've been wondering were you've been."

Vaguely nodded at him in greeting. "Going hunting?" She didn't wait for a response. "I'll join you."

"Fine." Matt shrugged. He looked back at the group his kin was sitting in, with one or two Razielhim on guard.

"He's not coming back." Rouge stated flatly, turning to lead the way out.

Matt ignored her, the silence indicating his belief that she was wrong. "Have any of you even SPOKEN with him?" She continued.

"Well, no..." Matt shrugged again.

Rouge frowned. "Our Lord Raziel might as well be gone, now. He has been changed into some... some. Sort of..."

"Human?" Matt offered.

Rouge stopped complaining, silent at the thought.

"I've seen humans. We live off of them, for crying out loud. Whatever Raziel was before, he's worse. And besides, many a human eventually got used to what they have become..."

"But not Raziel?" Matt asked.

"No." Rouge shook her head. The two passed the dungeons, on their way out of vampire territory. They weren't really that close, but sound carried well, at least for vampires and their superior hearing abilities.

"And I REALLY don't know what Lord Kain is up to. That 'human' prey will never change. Let's face it, he'll never really be one of us...'

* * *

Raziel was sitting with his knees drawn up within his cage, not really asleep, yet not all that lively, either. He looked up when he heard voices, passing outside of the walls.

"Let's face it, he'll never really be one of us..."

Raziel narrowed his yellow eyes. They were obviously talking about him, yes. Yet somehow, the word insulted him. He shook it off. Of course he couldn't become like one of those foul beings, why would he want to? Let them think that... maybe they'll give up trying to change him and leave him alone for once.

"He'll never really be one of us..."

...Like being what he was, even a human, was a lesser being.

Raziel shook it off, deciding to contemplate the thought for another time. Besides, he didn't care how superior the vampires thought of themselves. He knew the humans were the better. And there was no way he would want to fit in among the vampires, anyway. He shuddered at the thought. He then turned back to the woman whom he was caged with, still lying in the corner. He thought that maybe he could try talking to his cellmate. He walked over to her, and nudged her.

The girl didn't move.

Raziel strained his ears for sounds of life. A breath... a heartbeat. Anything. But he could tell, with his senses, that the girl was dead. By the look of things, her bite was left untreated, and the woman had already lost too much blood. Raziel stared at the dead woman. He was responsible for this person's death, he knew. But he had killed beings, including humans, in the past. It was necessary, considering how some where actually traitors to their own kind. But this woman was just a bystander... An innocent.

_Never again_. He promised himself. Remembering what had happen to the pillar guardians, particularly his mentor, Mobius. From now on, he would remember them, so that he would not fall prey to his vampirism ever again. He then began concentrating on getting out of the cell. Then he could take revenge on all of the vampires of this age, and there would be no more deaths. But he would still need help in doing so.

_One step at a time, Raziel._ He thought to himself.

He looked at the lock that held the cell shut, and worked at finding a way to unlock it...

It wasn't long though until he succeeded, and made a run for it. This time, however, he was going to stay free...

Well, that's that. I got rid of the bits I hated the most, but I still am not all that fond of this fic. Plus it was getting repetitive anyway. I am however continuing this story in an offshoot. See "Hylden havoc" For that. And it's going to be going in a totally different direction from where I was going in this story, at least. I am hoping it to be less silly and more of an action/ adventure story. If anyone wants to add anything about what else I should have cut, or wanting to know about things I had cut before I even posted some chapters, feel free to do so. This fic needs critism. Heck, I'm tempted to flame it myself. :p


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